Opeongo Lake – East Arm – Site 8

This is a rocky point site at the southern tip of Pine Island, which itself is tucked away towards the end of Opeongo’s east arm. I liked this site. While it’s not perfect (there’s some wobbly terrain to deal with and it’s not huge) there’s a lot going for it as well.

This is a south and west facing site. As it’s at the tip of the island with multiple kilometers of open water in front of it, it’s got great views while feeling fairly exposed. I was there on a windy day and I can tell you firsthand that you will notice the breeze. There are a couple of spots to pull up your canoe. One is in the lee of a small point jutting out towards the south shore, and one is a a bit further along that point and much more exposed (but was the one I picked for some reason). Both sites are relatively easy to access without too much in the way of underwater obstacles. 

The fire pit and fire pit area are pretty basic. I don’t recall there being any log benches, and the pit itself is basically just a jumble of rocks. It’s got a nice view out to the water though, and there’s a very solid table nearby for all your food prep needs. There’s a slight rise through much of the site proper, and the ground is littered with rocks poking up from the dirt like so many icebergs. I wouldn’t want to navigate the Titanic through here, but if you keep an eye out it’s not too treacherous. Ground cover is a mix of grass, dirt and pine needle with a few gnarled roots snaking around here and there as well.

I’d say that tent pads were at a bit of a premium. Much of the site is slightly uneven and I only saw one spot that I’d consider to be ideal for a tent. Doesn’t mean you can’t put up more, there is enough of a footprint to get up a couple of tents, I just don’t think I’d want to be in that second tent.

The thunderbox is up a steep-ish rise out the back of the site. It’s in decent shape and sheltered from both the elements and your fellow campers.

The highlight of this site for me is the view. You’ve got a nicely unobstructed view down Opeongo from the water, and plenty of great spots to sit and appreciate that view. The swimming also looked like it would be great. That rocky point I mentioned for the canoe landing would double as a great place to get in and out of the water.